Floor brush



Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE H. FITZGERALD, OF BERLIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO THE FULLERBRUSH COMPANY, F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F CONNECTICUT.

FLOOR Application led January This invention relates more especially tothat type of brushes employed for cleaning floors and similar surfaces,and an object of the invention, among others, is the production of abrush of this type that shall be particularly efficient in operation,and that shall have novel features of construction whereby the brush maybe produced in a simple and economical manner.

One form of brush embodying the invention and in the construction anduse of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may beattained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a top view of this improved floor brush.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail view, scale enlarged, in cross section through oneof the frame members illustrating the manner of securing the brushmaterial therein.

Figure 4 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line .1-4. of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 5 5of Figure l, but showing a modified construction of the frame memberswith the brush material secured therein.

Figure 6 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 6 6of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail view showing the plate from which the handleattaching bracket is formed. L',

A brush embodying the invention forming the subject matter of thisapplication is comprised of a back of frame like construction in whichthe cleaning element, usually composed of fibrous material, is secured,this frame including a plurality of channeled members from which thecleaning material projects, said channeled members being securedtogether by tie pieces and spacers to provide a rigid structure, and abracket to which a handle isvsecured is also attached to the frame in amanner to strengthen it.

In the accompanying drawings the numerals 8 and 9 designate twochanneled members, of substantially the same shape, except as to size,these members being preferabl of oblong shape and endless inconstruction with rounded ends and one of the members being locatedwithin the boundaries of the other and evenly spaced therefrom on allsides, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

BRUSH.

30, 1925. Serial No. 5,759.

Each of these members is provided with a channel l0 formed by bendingthe metal into U-shape in cross section, and the fibers or otherelements comprising the cleanin material are doubled at about theirlengt wise center and folded over an anchoring rod 11 that extends forat least the whole length of the brush material within the channeledmember, the lips 12 of said channeled member being compressed closelyagainst the cleaning material 13 to firmly and securely hold it withinthe channeled member.

The tie pieces and spacers 14, each of which possesses both of thesefunctions, are preferably formed from sheet metal and each is bent intoproper sha e to provide recesses 15, which recesses are ormed tocorrespond to the cross sectional shape of the channeled member 8 9.These tie pieces are fixed to the frame by springing them over thechanneled members, and the may be located at such distances apart a ongthe channeled members as may be desired, in the structure herein shownthere being two of these tie pieces and spacers located one near eachend of the frame, and as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. Any othersuitable means for securing the tie p1eces in place may be employed.

The bracket for securing the handle to the structure is formed from asingle plate of sheet metal 16 that is stamped to shape and comprisingside bars 17, from Which cli s 1 8 project, and end pieces 19 connectingt e slde bars. Handle supporting sections 20 project inwardly into theopening formed by the side bars and end pieces, and handle positioningsections 21 project from o posite ends of the plate. The sections 20 avehandle locating lugs- 22 projecting from their ends and holes 23 to formsockets to receive the outwardly bent ends of a 00nnecting pieceextending from a handle, and as illustrated in dotted lines in Figures 5and 6 of the drawings. The positioning section is formed withpositionlng prongs 24- 25, the former being located at the outer sidesof the section and the latter being located at the inner sides of thesection and provided with fingers 26 extending toward each other, and asshown in Figure 7 of the drawings. Clips 27 also project into thecentral opening at the center thereof.

In forming the bracket the side bars 17 are bent at substantially rightangles to the plane of the plate, the clips 18 are also bent to formgrooves to receive the channel members 8, and the clips 27 are bent toform 5 grooves to receive the channeled members 9. The handle supportingsections 20 are bent downwardly at substantially right anales to the endpieces and the handle positioning sections are bent to overlie the enpieces l?. The locating lugs 22 are bent into the position shown inFigures 5 and 6 of the drawings to form lugs to receive pivots 28 of ahandle connector shown in dotted outlines in Figures 5 and 6 of thedrawings, thus loeating the pivots opposite the holes 23 into which saidpivots move by a springing action of the connector. 'These lugs may alsoact to support the pivots in addition to their support in the holes 23.The fingers 26 are bent downwardly into the position shown in Figures 5and 6 of the drawings, the arms 30 of the spring connector beingreceived against these lingers when said arms are in the notches 31, andthus take a part of the wear of said arms upon said notches, as it hasbeen found that in use the connector will more frequently be located inthese notches than in the notches 32 at opposite sides of the notches31, it being understood that the spring arms of the connector may becomressed toward each other to release them rom any of the notches andthe connector being then swung on its pivot in the holes 23 said armsmay be located in any of the 35 other notches.

While there has been shown and described herein an entire brushstructure comprising a frame to which the brush material is secured andfrom which it projects, and a 4o bracket serving as a means forattachment of a handle to the frame, my invention is embodied in thebracket structure and does not embrace the frame except as to thespecial construction of such bracket for at- 45. tachment to said frame.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I havedescribed the principles of operation of my invention, together with thedevice which I now consider 5o to represent the best embodimentthereofbut I desire to have it understood that the device shown is onlyillustrative, and that the invention as contemplated by the appendedclaims may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other thanthose above set out.

l. A brush comprising a frame composed of members located one within theboundaries of another, brush material projecting from an edge of each ofsaid members, handle attaching bracket comprising clips formed withgrooves within which the edges of said members opposite the edge fromwhich said material projects are received to space them apart, and meansfor attachment of a handitto said bracket.

2. A brush comprising a frame composed of members located one within thebound aries of another, brush material projecting from an edge of eachof said members, a handle attaching bracket comprising clips located atopposite sides of the bracket, each clip having a plurality of grooveswithin which the edges of said members opposite the edge from which saidmaterial projects are received to space them apart, and means forsecuring a handle to said bracket.

3. A brush comprising a frame composed of members located one within thebound'- aries of another, brushl material projecting from an edge ofeach of said members, a handle attaching bracket comprising side barswith attaching clips projecting from opposite edges of a side bar andhaving grooves within which the edges of said inembers opposite the edgefrom which said material projects are received to space them apart, andmeans for securing a handle to said bracket.

4. A handle attaching bracket for a brush structure, said bracket beingformed from a flat plate of sheet metal and comprising a flat frame withhandle supports and handle positioning supports rojecting in oppositedirections from the p ane of said frame, said handle supports formed ofmetal originally comprised in the Hat plate and having means for thepivotal connection of a handle thereto and said positioning supportshaving notches for positioning a handle with respect to its pivotalconnection.

5. A handle attaching bracket for a brush structure, said bracket beingformed from a flat plate of sheet metal and comprising a at frame withhandle supports and handle positioning supports projecting on oppositesides of the plane of the frame from the end parts of said bracket, saidhandle supports formed of metal originally comprised in the lat plateand having means for the pivotal connection of a handle thereto and saidhandle positioning supports having notches for positioning a handle withrespect to its pivotal connection, and clips projecting from oppositeside bars of the frame and provided with means for receiving members ofa brush frame to secure the bracket to said frame.

6. A handle attaching bracket for a brush structure, said bracketcomprising a frame with a central opening bounded by side and end bars,and a handle support and a handle positioning support projecting fromopposite edges of each of the end bars and having means for supportingand for positioning a handle.

7 A handle attaching bracket for a brush structure, said bracketcomprising a frame with a central opening bounded by side and end bars,a handle support and a handle positioning support projecting in oppositedirections from opposite edges of each of said end bars, said supportsbeing provided with means for supporting and positioning a 5 handle.

8. A handle attaching bracket for a brush structure, said bracketcomprising a frame with a central opening bounded by side and end bars,and cllps projecting from opposite l0 edges of each of said side bars.

9. A handle attaching bracket for a brush structure, said bracketcomprising a fiat frame with handle supports and handle positioningsupports projecting in opposite directons from the plane of said plateat 15 opposite sides of the opening in said frame.

HORACE H. FITZGERALD.

